PlayThe silence of the Bangladeshi media in this instance has been all-encompassing and deafening. The reason for our silence is simple: The current state of media and defamation law in Bangladesh, and how it is interpreted by the judiciary, makes it unwise for any Bangladeshi media house to venture into any kind of meaningful comment on the controversy. Draconian lawsThe simple fact is that the Digital Security Act has had a chilling effect on Bangladeshi media. Time and again we have seen parties harassed by multiple defamation cases filed by essentially uninjured third parties in far-flung districts, and the cases accepted by the courts. However, the lack of any robust discussion of or commentary on the reports in the domestic media suggests an uncomfortable truth.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 08, 2021 15:56 UTC